Improved machine for framing lucifer-match splints for dipping



3 Sheets-Sheet 1. A. 85 E. B. BEECHER. I

MAKING MATCHES.

37,562 Patented-Peb.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2. A. & E. B. BEEOH'ER.

MAKING MATCHES.

Patented Feb. 3, 1863- 3 Sheets-Sheet 3. A. 86 E. B. BEEOHER,

MAKING MATCHES.

No. 37,562. Patented Feb. 3, 1863.

' .To aZZ'tiuh-om it may-concern.-

Anso's BEECHER'AND nnnunznu n. BEEOHER, or NEW BAYER-CONN.

IMPROVED MACHINE FQR FRAMING LUClFEli-MATCH SPLINTS FOR DlPPlNt Be itknown that we, ANSON BEEGHER and EBENEZER B. Bnncmm, of New Haven, New

Haven county, in the State'of Connecticut, have invented a new anduseful Machine for 1 Framing Lucifer-Match Splints forDipping;

and .we do hereby declare that the following is a full and correctdescription thereof, reference beingv had to the accompanying drawings,

and to the letters of reference marked thereon; Prior to our" saidinvention matches havebeen dippcd intwo ways-.-viz., the bundle dip andthe frame or clamp dip. In theformercase thefd'ipper takes a bundle ofsplints,-'tied round with string, and, grasping it with'both hands,causes the ends of the splints,'bya

skillful movement, to expand into so wide acircle that they becomedetached, and upon being-dipped each will receiveits ownsepa rateportion of the composition. In frame'or .clamp dipping, aspracticedbefore our invention, the splints are placed by hand orbymachinery between the members of a series'ofclamps, arranged in aframe,.the graspingsurfaces of the clamps being grooved at suitableintervals to separate the splints properly,

- or the splints areset by hand orby machinery in a series of. parallelholes through a board of suitable size for a dippingframe. Endless bandshave been used to connect and carry 8 series of clamps fastened theretoinstead of being secured'to aframe, as above mentioned.

One of the principal features of our invention consists in a new mode offraming match splints for dipping. For this purpose we use as a binder along flexible tape or band of cottonwebbing, or other suitablemateriahabout the thickness of the splint, but considerably narrowerthan its length, in combination with a cylinder or drum shorter than thesplint,

and adapted to a rotating mandrel or axis, so as to be rotated therebyand readily removedt therefrom when the frame is completed. The cylinderor drum is used as a center or form for the frame of matchsplints, whichis made by setting the splints at proper intervals between the coils .ofthefiexible binder-band as it is being continuously wound upon the drumby the rotation thereof until a frame of desired size and quantity fordipping is completed, when the end of the binding-tape is secured to.the preceding coil by spin or is Y Specification forming part ofLetters Patent No. 37,562 dated February 3, 1863.

fastened to the frame in any secure manner,

and the drum and the frame of'mat'ch-splints thus bound uponit areready; to be removed from the mandrelfor dipping, the splints beingdisposed around the drum in a continuous spiral between the-coils ofthe'binder parallel with each other and with the axis of the drutn, thesplints being separated from each other by the thickness of the flexiblebinder, and by'setti'n'g them the thickness of a splint apartinthe coilseach receives its proper proportion of compositionwhen dipped, and canconvenientlybe .dried in the frameJQ-This' frameinay be used for splintsof the length' or of double: the length jofth'e matches by setting thesplints close together in the coil, but lapping them so-that the endsproject-ab:

tern'a'tely from each end of the frame; butwe prefer setting the splintsat 'a suitable disa tance apart-about,- the thickness of a splint apart-21s it gives the-flexible binder afbetat'er" grasp of the splints in thesuccessive spiral layers to hold themwhile being set and for dipping. Wealso preferto' use splints of double the length ofthe matches, both foreconomy in'making the splint and the saving of time in feeding andsetting them in the frames. The two-length splint is dipped at both endswhile in the frame, and after being,

dried is cut in two in the middle.

- Our said invention further consists inme'chanisrn for'receiving thesplints from a hopper or other suitable presenting device and settingxthem. at regular distances apart between the coils. of the flexiblebinder, and also of mechanism for controlling and guiding the 'flexiblebinding-t-ape while it-is being wound around the splints upon the drum,so as'to hold them tight within its coils untilthe whole frame iscompleted.

.But to more particularly describe bur in 'vention,we will refer to theaccompanying drawings, of whicha Figure 1-is aplan view of machine; Fig.

2, a. longitudinal section; Figs. 3 and 4 oppo site side elevations;Fig.5, a detached view of.'

modification of arrangement of guide roller for tape. 1 Y

Letter a represents the frame of the ma chine; a, a bed-plate, to whichthe legs of the frame are fastened; a", a base on which the machinestands. 0n the main driyinggshaft e arse,

bearings, is surrounded by a sleeved, attached to the vibratable frame01, which swings thereon as its axis irrespective of the rotation of theshaft. The splint-frame mandrel c rotates in along pipe-bearing, e,attached to the end" of the frame d, that hangs over the mechanism, forsetting the splints. Upon this mandrel is placed the drum or cylinder f,upon which the splints are iramed, it being slipped on the mandrel atthe end thereof, and held so as to rotate with it and be readily removedby friction or by a spline or by making the drum-hole and mandrelsouare, or'in any other suitable manner,

In order to compensate for the increasing size of the frame, and tomaintain a constant tension on the binding-tape, which is held in thegrasp of a feeding mechanism, by which it is regularly paid out to theframe-drnm,'ihe frame-drum mandrel is driven by a rapidly-revolvingfriction-surface or slip-band, e driven by the pulley c on thecounter-shaft-c,theband running and slipping on the mandrel-pulley 0 itstension being regulated by the adjustable tightening-pulley e; We havefound this slipband sufiicient for the purpose, but anyadiustablediction-connection between the frame drum and its motive power willanswer. The frame-drum should be about three inches in diameter, and fortwo-length splints about three inches wide. The binding-tape g-which weprefer of cotton webbing about the thicknessof the splints and about twoand a half inches wide, such as used for driving-reins is attached atone end to the framedrum by winding a coil around the same or in anysuiteble manner. The other end of the tape is' placed in a coil upon thehorizontal pin g on the yibratable frame 6, from which as it uncoils itpasses down under the guide-pin g and through the slotted'guidc g intothe grasp of a holding and feeding mechanism consisting of anendless-band, h, which is mounted on drums k W, and a weightedpressure-roller, :76, which serves to tighten the endless band, and atthe same time to graspthe binding'tape for the purpose of holding andfeeding the same'betwecn its peripheryand the top suriace of the endlessband.- The binding'tape passes from the holding and feeding mechanismnpwardto and partially around a guideroller, g "and from thence onto theframe- (lrum, which, with. its accumulating coil of splints,rests on theguide roller The guideroller turns loose on the shaft 11 between the twonotched setting-wheels i fiwhich are fast to said shaft '5, andconstructed andarrnnged,

as shown in the drawings, with oppositematched notches, the thickness ofa splint apart, to take the splints one by one fromthe count-wheels at apoint above the bindingtape s it passes over the guide-rollers g", and,

as they revel ve, carry in the splinfsrhgnlarly between thebinding-tape, going onto the frame and the preceding coil, the splintsbeing lifted out et the notchesoi' the settingwheels by the bindingtapeas it passes onto the frame. The splint-setting wheels are rctated byacog-wheel, 'i", on the end of the shaft 13, which gears into and isdriven by a cogwheel, j, on the shaft j,v which aotuatesthc holding andfeeding mechanism of the bindertape, so that the setting-wheels and feedmech= anism move together simultaneously. The driving-drum h, whichmoves the endless belt h, is fast to the shaft j, and the loose drum hruns on a bearing in the middle of the tie rod h", which is fast at bothends to the sides of the machine-frame. The pressure-roller h? runsloose on a fixed hearing or axis, h fast to the swinging frame h", whichswings on bearings h h on the rods h at each side of the loose drum hand is connected with a heavy weight, h, by links h h.

To preventthe feeding and setting mechanism, when disconnected from theother part of the machine whereby it is driven, from being moved by thepull of the binder-tape, sulficient friction is applied to the surfaceof a pulley, j, fast to the shaft j, by means of a strap, j fastened atone end to the tie-rod'lf, and passing partly around the pulley'j isheld against the surface thereof by a weight, j, attached to thependentend of the strap. The inertia and friction of the feeding andsetting mechanism will of itself-oppose the pull of the friction-driverof the frame-drum on the flexible binding-tape, and therefore suchadditional friction asis necessaryto apply by the strap to l overcomethet'riction driver of the drum-mandrel doesnot materially interferewith moving the feeding and setting mechanism when thrown in gear by theclutch with the count wheels and receiving-cylinder. For this purpose ofholding the binder-tape ina stationary position by the feeding mechanismwhen the same is not moved regularly for the purpose of paying outihebinding-tape, we prefer the friction-drag, as above described, to apositive locking device, acting in conjunction with the self-actingclutch, by which the feeding and setting mechanism is connected with andreceives motion from the count wheel shaft, because it permits themovement of the feeding ahd setting mechanism, byhand, for the purposeof adjustment, when necessary, by means of the crank on the shai'tj; butit is evident that any'device which will keep the feeding and settingmechanism stationary when disconnected with its motive power will enableit to perform the function of over-- coming the pull of thefrictioudriver of the frame-drum on the flexible binder, and thereforenot only to keep up a proper tension on the flexible binder to hold theframe e of splints together, but also, by maintaining it in a stationaryposition, will preserve the negular distense between the splints in thecoils of the frame, which would not be the' case were the frame sufferedto continue to turn unsupplied with splints or at the rate it would bemoved by the pull of the frame-drum mandrel on the binding tape. c

Having described the mechanism for framing and setting the splints, wewill now proceed to describe the mechan-ism by which the splints aretaken'into the machine and' placed infthe setting-wheels. It eonsistsof'a receivi in g-cylinder, grooved regularly across the face withinclined or hooked grooves, each of suitable size to pickupsplints'presented by'a hopper or other suitable presenting device,

. and carry them forward as the cylinder rotates, and a pair .ofinclined tooth-wheels, which lap over the ends of the receiving cylinder, and by means oftheir oppositeinclined teeth lift thematch-splints, one at'a time, by their projectingends out of thegrooves-pt the' receiving-cylinder and carry them-forward to and place.them -in' the notches of the setting-wheels. We call these wheelscount-wheels,?-becausei there is mechanism covered-with card-teethinclined backward-4s placed ov'eiith'e' receiving cylinder, as close toit as possible, and-rapidly rotated in the direction of the arrow, forthe purpose of sweepingmatch-splintsfrom the surface of the cylinderthat are not taken into the groovesof the same. There are alsocurved-guides placed over tbereceivingcyiinder and count-wheels andrunning up in front of the'setting-wheels,

-lor the purpose or keeping the splints in the grooves and notches ofthese devices.

Letter in is the receiving-cylinder, mounted on the shaft-k kthe-grooves for the splints. The hopper l, which is of suitable widthfor the splints, is wider than the receiving-wheel,

the excess of width being equally apportioned at both ends of therecciving-cylimler, so that the splints, wh en taken into the grooves ofthe receivinfi ieylinder, project equally from both ends of the some, inorder thatthe countwheels 'may lift them by their projecting ends andtransfer them to the setting-wheels.

The wire brush is marked a the guides n n.

Letters 0C1}: represent the count-wheels,

which are meunted-on a shaft, 0, and overlap the endsof the receving-cylinder, as shown.

The face of eachwheel has a groove, 0, cut in it aroundltsentirecircumference, andisalso divided into opposite-matched inclined teeth,arranged as shown with 1 reference to the grooves of the receiving-wheelso as to lift the splints, one at a time, from the grooves of thereceiving-cylinder by the projecting ends of the splints as the inclinedteeth sweep by the ends of the grooves, the speed of countingwheelsJeing duly proportioned to that of the receiving-cylinder, so that eachgroove of the latter, as it comes to-thc proper place, will be served bya'pair of the inclined teeth [0n the counting-wheels. A pair ofstationary cams,

p jo fast at one end 'to the tie-rod p, come up close to the sides ofthe setting-wheels, and extend forward 'witha curve into the grooves ofthe counting-wheels. These cams assist in the transfer of the splintsfrom the countwheels to the-setting-wheels bylifting them from thecount-v heels at the point of transfer.

Motion-is communicated to themechanism above described from theifly-wheel'b on-the main'shatt by a round band, 1), running onto agrooved nest-pulley, b fast to the wire- 'brush shaft'm, and which, by agroove of larger diameter, drives a cross-band, b which "turns agroovedpulley, If, fast to the shaft q,' whieh rotatesein hearings onthe under side of the frame of the machine. On this shaft q is a pinion,g, which gears ,with a carrier .cog-ivhe'el, g "running. on a stud-pinat the side of the frame, and carrying with itthe pinion qffl'whiehisfast to thecog-wheel q,

and drives asccond carrier cog-wheel, q, with pinion q'i fast thereto.The pinion .q gears with the cogswheel g fast'to thejreceivingwheelshaft,aud also. gears with the cog wheel q'fl fast toythegcountingsvheelshafto; The wheels on the receiving-cylinder and countwheel shafts,being both driven by the same pinion-,9, must be proportioned to eachother as the numbeIL-of opposite pairs of teeth in" the connt-wheels isto-thenumber of splintgrooves in thereceiving-cylinder. a

Themechanism for setting the splintsineing geared to themechanism forholding and feeding the binding-tape, as hereinbefore described, botharedriven from the count-wheel shaft 0, as follows, :vi-zv: Upon one endof the shaft o which czi-r'rie's the count-wheels is a clutch-wheel,r,=-l oose upon said shaft and fast to a. cog-wheel,=r,'behind it, whichis also loose uponsaid shaft. The cog-wheel 7 gears into the cog-wheelj, which drives the feeding and .setting mechanism. An arm, r", fast tothe shaft o,'carries a lever-pawl, s, actuated by a spring, 8, so as totake into the inclined teeth. 8 of the clutch-wheel and connect it withthe shaft 0.. The'number of teeth in the clutch-\v-l|eel is the-same asin either one of the count-wheels, and the cog-wheel attached to theclutch-wheel is proportioned to the cogwheel which it drives as 'thenumber of teeth in the .counting-wheelsis to the'number of notches inthe setting-wheels; The clutch is operated to stop the feeding andsetting mechanism when the conntwheels fail to brin g a splint at theproper time to the settingon a fulcrum-pin in the stotted end of thehorizontal stud-pin t, and is operated by a toggle, u, one member ofwhich is jointed to thelever .t, and, the other is confined by afulcrum-pin to the side frame ot' the machine. A bent connecting-rod, u,joins the toggle to &an upright vibrating lever, ad, which vibrates onthe fulcrum-pin u at the bottom of the frame. A. crooked arm, n, with ahook, f, at one end, and jointed at thelother end to the vibrating lever14, is suspended horizontally by a link, u depending from an arm orlever, u", framed with a lever, is, both moving freely on bearingsbn thetie-rod c the end of the power arm of the lever u being shaped so as toenter and lie in the groove around the count-wheel 0', as shown, soth'atif -a splint be not present in that notch of the countingwheelbelow the'end of thelever the lever drops in the groove, and therebylowers the hooked arm so that the hook u catches on a pin, v projectingfrom clever, e, which is constantly moved back and forth upon itsfulcrumpin 1;

by a crank-Ir, on the end of the shaftq. A

connecting-link, a, joins the crank to said lever. Theshaftqmakesasmanyrevolutionsfor each revolution of the count-wheels as'there arepairs of splint-carrying notches ,on the count-wheels. Thereforewhenever the hooked arm is let down, in consequence of the ab sconce ofa splint in one of the pairs of notches of the count-wheel, which, asthe same revolves, approachesthe setting wheels, the vibratory lever 'v'catches the hook with its pin, and through the intermediate system oflovers above described lifts the pawl from the notch in the clutchwheelwhere it happens to lie, and from each succeeding notch or tooth in theclutch-wheel, so long as the count-wheel notches do not bring splints tothe settingwheels, thus stopping the splint-frame and itsv settingmechanism until the, count-wheels bring forward a splint, when, the hookarm being lifted out of thetrack of the pin on the vibrating lever v bythe action of the splint against the lower side of the lever'u, thepawl, released from the lever. t, is thrown into the notch on the clutchcontiguous to it, and sets the frame and setting mechanism in motion.The hopper t is pivoted in front upon a seat upon the tie-rod u", towhich it is confined, so

as to vibrate freely by the screw-pin w, and is also supported behind,near the top, by being jointed to a long springy rod, at, fast at thelower end to the tie-rod 90!. A shaking motion is'given to the hopper bythe bell-crank 3 connected a link, 3 with the lever 17, and playingbetween the pins 3 projecting from the bottom of the hopper.

In place of the hopper, any known device by which the splints can bepresented horizon tally to the grooves of the receiving-cylinder may besubstituted. 7

- A modification of the arrangement of guideroller and setting-wheels isshown in the drawings, detached, at Fig. 5. In this modification thebinding-tape is aidedin lifting out the splints from the notches in thesetting-wheels by the eccentric position of the guide-roller, whichturns on an eccentric bearing, z, sun rounding the settiug-wheelshaft,but not confined to it, being held in astationary position by the arm2', which is fast to the tie-rod p.

Acrank, b, is placed on the main shaft b'for the purpose of moving themachine by hand when adjusting the drum and hinder.

We claim- 1. The employment of a flexible binding tape or band, incombination with a drum adapted to be rotated by a mandreland removedtherefrom, substantially as described, as a means of forming a spiralframe of match splints for dipping, substantially as hereinbefore setforth. I

2. In combination with aframe-drum moved by friction, the endless bandand pressureroller, or equivalent feeding mechanism, for the purpose'ot'holding and paying out the flexible binding tape to the frame.substantially as described.

3. In combination with the frame-drum, binder, setting and feedingmechanism, the

frictiolrdrag, or its equivalent, for the purpose of stopping the framewhen the feeding and setting mechanism is discs anected from its motivepower. t v

4. Thereceiving-cylinder, grccved across its periphery with groovessuitable to take in and hold only a single match-splint each,substantially as described.

5. The wire brush, or its equivalent, in comv bination with thereceiving-cylinder, substantially as described.

6. In combination with the setting-wheels and receiving cylinder, thecount-wheels, substantially as described.

7. The setting-wheels, in combination with the frame-drum andbinding-tape, substantially asdescribed, and substantially for thepurpose of setting the splints in the coils of the bindingtape, as setforth.

8. In combination with the feeding and setting mechanism, the clutch andsystem of 1cvers, or their equivalents, whereby the frame is stoppedwhen splints are not supplied at the proper time and set in action againby the splint itself, substantially as described.

- ANSON BEECHER.

EBENEZER B. BEEGHER. Witnesses:

J osnrn F. BENTON, MERIT B. Soo'r'r.

